Born from Darkness
by DMarEssence
Summary: An arranged marriage to Prince Caspian X sends Lyana away from her home among the unicorns. When Caspian is betrayed by his own court, she must follow him or face persecution. Can love be born out of such dark times as these? Yup. Caspian/OC movieverse
1. Chapter 1

Wow! A lot of Caspian fics were posted on the 18th of May, but mine's an OC! Shocking, I know. Enjoy, and Review por favor!

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Arranged marriages were customary in Narnia, or at least among the royal factions it was.

"Come now my lady! This marriage must be consummated so that the truce can be solidified between our peoples. The Telmarines have much to offer us-"

"But I want to be free." Lyana, the whisperer of the unicorns and protector of the Daytarian people frowned through her long white hair out over the cliffs at the ruins of Cair Paravel, where she often came to consort with the unicorns of the forests.

_It's not fair. I don't want to be tamed. _

"It's your duty to merge the Daytarians and the Telmarines. This is not negotiable."

_The inflated gall of that man. If not for me, we wouldn't have the power the unicorns bestowed upon us before they became endangered by the White Witch. Now no one knows of the unicorns… and they're still too afraid to be seen. _

Lyana let silent tears cascade down her porcelain cheeks. She'd never known parents or family; only the unicorns- the ones that had brought her forth as a child from the forest to her people who now worshipped her like a deity. Unrightfully, she thought.

And now those same people were giving her and the magic up as a peace offering to the powerful conquistadors at Telmar. She would be separated from her horses, her friends.

_All I do is speak to them, nothing more._ _They are the only ones who understand me, the unicorns._

With unbridled magic potential, Lyana was to be harnessed and tamed at the Telmar Keep where she would await her marriage to the infamous Prince Caspian X.

On the day that Lyana was prepared to leave, she fastened her hair up into small braids to keep it out of her face, allowing the rest of her unimaginably long, frost colored locks to trail behind her like a morbid wedding veil.

A herd of the meager remaining unicorns had gathered clandestinely before the send off, flocking to their keeper and hoping they chose to take them to Telmar where they could keep watch over her. She politely declined, giving each one of them a stroke on the muzzle and a pat on the flank before she mounted up into a practical riding saddle.

She _despised _saddles. Saddles meant the animal was obedient and bound by slavery, but according to her advisors, it was the practical way to do things.

"You don't want to look like a barbarian in front of your future husband, now do you?"

Lyana responded with a dark nod. She would see her friends again. The Telmarines would not keep her captive for too long… she hoped.

Hiding the disappointment that was inevitably showing through her crystalline blue eyes, Lyana gave a fleeting glance back at the forest where her herd was waiting before shoving off with her escort towards Telmar where an uncertain fate awaited her.

**

"One, two, three, and feint- very good your highness," the royal fencing coach beamed at his pupil, who had quickly brandished and sheathed his sword.

"I will see you tomorrow then," Caspian the Tenth, Prince of Telmar waved off his fencing instructor before allowing his councilor and uncle, Miraz, to join him in the courtyard.

"Ah, my prince, you are improving with each day of practice," Miraz flattered, bowing slightly before his nephew and then composing himself to read off the 'royal schedule' for the day.

"Before any of this royal business, how is your wife, uncle? I heard she is due anytime now," Caspian observed, blowing his swooping brown bangs out of his eyes and wiping the sweat from his dark skinned brow with the sleeve of his tunic.

"Ah, she is well for now, thank you for asking. So on to more important matters, your meeting with the full council will convene in approximately half a candle mark and the Daytarians are arriving later for the feast tonight, where you will meet your bride to be."

"Yes, I seem to recall such an arrangement." The prince sighed. It was normal for royalty to be roped into such despicable negotiations that involved loveless marriages, but Caspian desired more. His lover would be suited perfectly to him; flawless with heart felt blue eyed stares that kept him awake at night and reminded him of the beautiful Narnian waterfalls.

He was also a bit tense about the meeting. The Daytarians had always been a weak faction of the original Narnians, but this girl he was to marry… he'd heard stories. She was born of the forest, wild and revered. The circumstances of the marriage were queer to say the least. Because there was no heir to the Daytarian chieftain, the land became part of the forest, and as such, only a union of the forest dwellers could give Telmar the power over the land.

He'd also heard strange rumors of her calming whole unsteady herds of horses, silencing howling wolves, and even petting a savage bear.

_She is a tamer of wild beasts. I wonder what kind of woman she is,_ Caspian moored unsteadily in the quaking waters of his inner mind. The meeting would be memorable, that much he was sure.

"My liege, your guests have arrived," one of the gate attendants informed Prince Caspian later that evening after the sun had been driven behind the horizon by the rising moon.

"Show them in," the Prince commanded, taking a seat at the head of the table and awaiting the arrival of his wife-to-be, who, as it was customary, was to sit at his left hand during the feast.

Lyana had been briefed, pampered, groomed, whatever you may call it until she was utterly undistinguishable from the dull listless faces at the Telmarine court. Much to the dismay of her own counselors, her white-blonde mane was a grievance that made her stand out, but it couldn't be helped.

When Lyana made her grand debut in the great hall at Telmar, all eyes were on her. With waist length, billowing hair that was almost unheard of in this distant land, gazes were distracted by it's sweeping beauty as well as a pair of eyes so blue that some say shown like the mystical waterfalls in the valley of Narnia.

"Welcome to Telmar, my lady, my lords. Make yourself comfortable during your stay and we will deal with matters of the wedding tomorrow," Miraz promised, much to Lyana's dismay. The Talmarine efficiency was disgusting. Were they really going to cast her off to this complete stranger? This Prince Caspian-

When Lyana's blue gaze locked with Caspian's, her breath was taken away. The people of her village had always revered and avoided her due to her hierarchal standing and subjugated holiness, so she had never before been allowed opportunities to meet with members of the opposite sex.

The counselors at Daytaria feared that if Lyana, their great goddess were to lose her virginity, that she would lose her divine power to control the forest and siphon the magic into the protective defenses of their village. Daytaria's major incentive to have Lyana wed Caspian was for the shear reason that they didn't want to have to rely on the unpredictable lady of the unicorns any longer. With the protection of Telmar at their disposal, the hocus pocus earth magic of the unicorns would become obsolete.

Lyana was enraptured by Caspian. She was unaccustomed to his people's features: brown skin, which only hinted at his Hispanic ancestry and deep, dark eyes that looked almost black in the grim light of the grand fireplace.

"Welcome to Telmar, my lady," Caspian greeted his fiancé wearily, taking Lyana's pale hand and distributing a kiss on her outstretched fingers. The only romantic relationships that the girl had ever known were of the unicorns that mated for life and never spoke of love. What was love anyway?

There was no way that this could be a coincidence, Caspian was thinking as he sat down at the table. She was the yin to his yang; short and petite, pale skin, long blonde hair and those blue eyes… no, this was certainly not a coincidence. Her outward appearance was more ethereal than he'd imagined, and certainly there was none among his court with her caliber of beauty, but until he got to know her, he would make no promises.

After the usual banter at dinner, Lyana's counselors retired leaving her alone with Caspian.

"Will it please you to see your room now?" Chivalrously, Caspian offered Lyana his arm, which she took uncertainly. She'd never been allowed to touch skin other than that of the unicorns and horses (and the bark of trees she conversed with certainly didn't count), so holding onto Caspian was a new experience. Different from a horse, his flesh was smooth and unmarred like that of an animal's, and of course covered in the cloth of his tunic, but the sensation was still there.

_She is uncomfortable around me,_ Caspian deduced at the tense grip that Lyana had formed around his forearm. He recalled earlier his meeting with the lords of Telmar about her possible demeanor.

_"She was raised by wild animals! I'll be surprised if she even eats with a fork!" one of the generals had scoffed. Caspian only rolled his eyes at the comment. Surely no one was that barbaric? _

And he had been right. She was graceful, elegant, and the embodiment of beauty, but she didn't know of court life. She was raised in a village surrounded by forests, and forced to come here for the good of her people.

"Why are you agreeing to this marriage?" Lyana shot out abruptly, catching Caspian's attention as they stopped in from of her chamber door.

"Excuse me?" Not many people questioned him, and not so blatantly.

"I don't mean to make you feel… uncomfortable, but you are going to be the king of the strongest principality in the land! Why would you agree to marry someone like me? Surely, as king you could wait for love? Besides, the village I protect has nothing to offer your great kingdom! This is why I question you so." Although Lyana truly wished to return to her ungrateful village, she was curious.

"This is a complicated question. As prince or even king, I am bound by law, which decrees I cannot fully annex your land unless I conquer it, or am given it."

Lyana paused, absorbing everything briefly before refuting.

"I'll gladly give you the land," Lyana offered meekly, looking for respite in Caspian's dark eyes.

"Unfortunately, your land has no deed, which automatically gives the forest dwellers the rights. However, you are the last of them. When your village agreed to this, I had no idea you were unaware-"

"It's alright… I'd rather do this than have you invade…" Lyana trailed off, her blue eyes dropping to the floor. Honestly, she'd love to have the greedy villagers removed, but if the Telmarines occupied the forest, the unicorns would be lost.

"I'm sorry for posing such an intrusive question, your majesty. It wasn't my place to-"

"When we are married, we will be equals. I will want to know what is on your mind."

Lyana was shocked at his answer. Normally, her ideas were shot down as nonsensical by the village elders who cast her off as an ignorant child. Now she was being treated as an equal… and she liked it.

The girl's shocked reaction came as a surprise to Caspian. In his society, women were always held very highly. They were, after all, the givers of life.

"Um your highness?" Lyana offered quietly, not really sure how to address him. Caspian inclined his head.

"Thank you. I… I feel strange being here, and you're… you're making the transition very bearable." Once the words came out of her mouth, she regretted it. She didn't want to sound ungrateful or hard to please… but it did come out that way.

When Caspian saw her physical regret upon using the word _bearable_ to describe the more than extravagant treatment Lyana had received up to now, he chuckled. He knew what she meant, but it was funny to see her struggle.

"Well, tomorrow I hope we can graduate from bearable to _tolerable._ Goodnight my lady."

With that, Lyana was left to her own devices for the night. A long, restless night.

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	2. Chapter 2

Okay, enjoy and REVIEW!!!!!

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Lyana laid awake in her amazingly adequate king sized bed complete with satin sheets and large, sky blue canopy. She'd never felt more out of place in her life. She had to see something familiar or she was going to lose herself in this new, maniacal lifestyle.

Lifting herself out of her bed, she slunk down the vast stone hallway that held the guest suites and made her way to one of the lower turrets where she could use the vantage point to decide the quickest way to the forest. Unicorns were rare, namely; hard to find. Even if she could locate some native Narnians… that might satiate her need for magical contact.

When at last she could feel the wind on her face and the dark moon casting a shadow on her back, Lyana sighed. She longed for this freedom… a freedom that she would never enjoy again.

On her way back to her room, after she'd realized there was no corporeal way for her to escape the castle, Lyana reluctantly began to accept that fate that was dawning on her.

_He… doesn't seem so bad though… I'm just afraid that if I get attached… something bad will happen. Not to mention he probably doesn't even know about unicorns!_

The plain simple matter of it all was that Lyana didn't trust humans. But Caspian… she was withholding judgment.

When the clanking of the guards boots alerted Lyana to company, she hid away in her chambers and retired from her midnight antics.

**

It had already been a week since Lyana had arrived at Telmar. The wedding was set for the rising of the full moon in ten days… plenty of time for the girl to accumulate stress and worry about her own mental preparations.

Lyana found her gaze resting on her malcontented body as her attendants fit her in her wedding gown, one of the most ravishing dresses she'd ever set eyes on.

_This is… really happening._

After the fitting, Lyana made her way to the stables where she could at least talk to a familiar species.

The horses in the royal stables were extremely formal with her, seeing as they'd never talked to humans before. It was hard to coax them into conversations, and Lyana grew tired of her efforts. Not to mention it was nearly time for dinner.

**

Caspian had been apprehensive about dinners since the first night. He was inexplicably drawn to the mysteriously stunning Lyana and found himself being wound into her nonsensical charm and wit. Her complete ignorance of all the rituals he'd memorized as a boy was adorably refreshing, and he relished in teaching these new things to her.

After every evening, Caspian would escort Lyana back to her room for retirement where they would share brief insights on their day.

"So, you're fencing instructor is adequate?" Lyana had asked on one occasion. Like the first night when she'd spoke slightly out of turn, she grimaced at her word choice.

"You could say that. Do you know much of fencing?" Caspian offered, hoping to turn the tables away from the girl's embarrassment.

"I suppose my sword play skills are adequate as well. Would you like to see my blade?" A strange new light of excitement shown through Lyana's somewhat listless eyes, and Caspian nodded. He loved the way her gaze twinkled when something she was familiar with was mentioned.

"Perhaps you will bring it tomorrow and we can assess your _adequate _skills."

For the first time since she'd arrived at Telmar, Lyana smiled a true and heart felt smile. She nodded feverishly before bidding him goodnight and closing the heavy wooden door to her room.

Caspian tried to suppress the images of Lyana's celestial smile that rang through his dreams afresh as he lay sleeping in his bed that night. That is, until an unceremonious intrusion woke him up… one that would change the course of his life from that day on.

**

"Where is his highness?" Lyana inquired at breakfast the next morning, looking from Caspian's uncle, to his wife, to their new son that had been born in the dead of last night.

"He disappeared from the castle. We have search parties combing the forests as we speak-"

"Can I look also?" Lyana mentally chastised herself for interrupting Miraz, and gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry my lady, but we'll handle it." The mysterious gleam in the councilor's eye gave Lyana a hint that something else was going on. Even if she was slightly ignorant of the formalities of royal society, Lyana believed that a figure of Caspian standing could not just disappear so abruptly, and so, she entreated upon the Prince's professor for further information.

"I'm afraid he's been suspected of treason, but that's not the sort of talk a man shares with his ladies of court," Miraz continued, attempting to change the subject.

Like with animals, Lyana could smell fear and aggression as easily as she could treachery, and Miraz was rank with it.

"Thank you my lord. I think I'll retire for a while." _And do some investigating while I'm at it. _

"The girl is becoming suspicious. There must be some way we can quell her inquisitions," the general, Lord Glazelle demanded that day in the council chambers as rumors flew about the true whereabouts of Caspian.

"Supposedly, he was abducted by the Narnians, but you're right. The girl _is_ a problem." Lord Sopespian gave a suspicious glance at Miraz, who he suspected was the _true _reason behind Caspian's flight. It wasn't mere coincidence that their Prince disappeared the night that Miraz's son, next in line for the throne, was born.

"If you are worried about her inquiries, why don't you do something about it?" Miraz snapped, drumming his fingers agitatedly on the arm rest of his unnecessarily large wooden chair.

"Put her with the professor."

**

"Let go of me! What're you doing? I refuse to be treated this way!" Lyana cried as three of the Telmarine guards manhandled her down the stone stairs and into the cramped light of the dungeon where she spotted Caspian's tutor, Dr. Cornelius.

"Doctor?" Lyana whispered through the bars of her well sealed cell.

"I can't believe they are treating you in such a manner," the old man sighed, leaning against the adjoined wall and adjusting his round glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Yes… and I hadn't even truly started snooping yet-"

"So the prince escaped?" the old man seemed desperately curious.

"Yes, but no one knows where he is." A decadent silence followed as Lyana straightened out the shear outer layer of her light pink and white gown as she sat with the many slips of fabric pooled on the ground around her.

"Surely nothing can happen to us down here? Not when we've done nothing wrong-"

"Miraz will go to any length to be king. He even killed Caspian's father." The old man entrusted. Lyana responded with a gasp. _How heartless._

_That is why I prefer the animals. They don't ever get into petty arguments that end with death or loss. _

Lyana didn't like to be caged. Being in the large spacious castle was a cage, so the small, dimly lit room with one miniscule, barred window made her stay at Telmar Keep nearly unbearable… until one night.

After Lyana and the Doctor had been confined for nearly three nights, the alarum bells rang out loudly in the distant night. Someone was coming. Coming for them.

Lyana wasn't sure whether to be afraid or to be exuberant. She was pending the decision until she saw her savior, the Prince Caspian himself, fending off the guards and rushing down the stairs to their rescue.

"Your highness! I'm so glad you're alright!" Lyana exalted.

"I'm afraid there is not time," Caspian extended his free hand that was not clasped around the bloody edge of a blade to the forest princess and led her up from the dungeon.

"Come professor, we must escape from this place," Lyana coaxed, watching as the tutor mumbled angrily at Caspian under his breath.

_Now is not the time for such squabbles! Where can we go to-_

Lyana knew by the look in Caspian's eye that it was not her place to fight, however, he pulled an extra sheathed sword from his belt and squeezed it in her hands. The warmth and compassion flowed through their clasped fingers and Lyana nodded in understanding.

"You must leave. Now," he whispered urgently, rushing off in the direction towards the courtyard where both Narnian and Telmarine soldiers were gathered. The blonde haired heiress was left by herself in the long, hallways of the keep that echoed with the cries of injured humans and forest creatures alike. One particular sound had gotten her attention.

_Griffons. _

The very turret that Lyana frequented on her nights to get fresh air was bustling with soldiers. She held her sword firmly in her hands before she maneuvered around the archers who were now lined up, facing the courtyard below, threatening to release a barrage of arrows down upon the warriors.

Once the archers had spotted her however, she was their new target, along with a peculiar looking boy with fair skin and dark hair. Not a Telmarine, but…

"Are you a son of Adam?" she cried at him as together they blockaded the stairway and raced up the tower. Lyana had no doubt in her mind that the winged, graceful, half bird creatures would come to the rescue. The boy, however, looked nervous.

"Fear not," she comforted, taking his hand as the Telmarine guards broke down the door and she pushed him off the balcony.

The skilled griffon caught them in between its razor sharp talons and flew them to safety across the Narnian forest that separated the Telmarine forces from Aslan's Howl.

Once they'd collaborated at the front of the Narnian Keep, Lyana felt a rush of relief. This was where she belonged: among the centaurs, the fauns and dwarves and talking animals.

The sight of the battered and bruised Caspian, however, brought her back to her senses.

"Your majesty! Are you alright?" She gasped, reaching toward the shallow cut on his forehead before he flinched away. Lyana could sense from his demeanor that more than just his flesh had been wounded… his pride, his honor, his dignity, all lay shattered at the hands of his uncle.

"Caspian?" she added. It wasn't until she'd muttered his name in that sweet, musical voice which had captured his heart at the castle did the prince look up and meet her gaze.

"I'm relieved to see you made it out safely," he whispered, his dark eyes, just moments before filled with melancholy, were flooded with a new emotion; concern.

Before he could reach to grasp her hand, Caspian was interrupted by the beaten and battered forest army that had been recruited, and depleted in a matter of days. Leading the way across the field was the kings and queens of old; High King Peter, King Edmond, Queens Lucy and Susan.

When the rest of the soldiers had bowed before the supposed saviors of Narnia, Lyana looked up skeptically. King Peter appeared most confused by the action.

"Are you not from Narnia?" He asked her curiously.

"I am very young, in regards to native Narnians, but I do not see why I must bow to you. My duty is to protect the forest, and you have destroyed its keepers," she indicated the exhausted attack force before them. Peter was taken aback by the statement.

No one before the catacomb had even noticed that the young girl was there until she spoke out. When she did though, there was a sweeping admiration among the warriors.

"It was a mistake to attack the castle," Caspian hissed at Peter, after both the angered prince and the High king had separated from the pack.

"The only mistake was you thinking you could lead these people," Peter snapped back, unsheathing his blade in response to Caspian's outburst.

"Stop this!" the queen Susan, quiet up until then, rushed forward and seized her brother by the arm and giving him a pleading look.

When the two were finally pried apart, Lyana had rushed forward and taken Caspian's arm. He shook it off, not even acknowledging her concern, and rushed into the catacombs beneath the keep.

"Prince Caspian!" She called after him, dashing after him with a swish of her nightgown.

_I… I don't know why I feel so compelled to consol him. This… can't be love, can it?_

_**_

Lyana never sensed the dark presence that enveloped her as she entered the dome. Before she even knew what was happening, a dark shadow had crept up behind her and wrested her against its torso, wielding a dagger at her throat.

"Just one drop, my prince… and you could be king."

The White Witch appeared behind a mirror of ice that had been summoned by one of the shadow creatures in the tomb and beckoned Caspian to give her a drop of blood, his human blood that would revive her. Lyana struggled against her captor until she'd broken free and shouted the prince's name.

"Caspian!"

A sharp pain in her back made Lyana realize that these dark beings were not going to let her ruin their plot to revive their demonic mistress, the White Witch from her immortal prison behind the icy veil.

All she knew in that moment was that she was not going to be the one to save her Caspian from the fate the Witch held for him, and for that, she felt like a failure.

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	3. Chapter 3

Last chapter: a little longer than the others. Enjoy and REVIEW!

BTW, I dont' really tie up my loose ends. Sorry for that.

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Lyana came around soon after a drop from queen Lucy's magic potion bestowed upon her by the magnificent Aslan. She lay recovering on one of the fallen stone pillars in the tomb.

"You are awake," Caspian remarked suddenly, appearing at the girls' side.

Noticing the vacated mirror that had just moments ago held the White Witch's visage, Lyana looked up at him with relieved eyes.

"I knew you would not make a pact with the White Witch. You are far to kind for such a thing." Caspian only scoffed at her flattery.

"Kind? I have been called many things, but kind is not one of them. I… I wanted to _kill _my uncle! He's a murderer and a liar, and he deserves it… but how could I even think such a thing if I was kind?"

Lyana was taken aback by the broken monarch's confiding in her, though she was pleased he felt some sort of connection between them. She certainly did.

The way he moved, spoke, gestured, smiled… all those things, Lyana watched and adored. She couldn't let him think about himself this way.

"You just lost your way. It is easy to do so when the path is dark and unclear. You are in charge of making very hard decisions… and you can only be commended for what you have done so far."

_This strong need to touch him is overwhelming…_

Lyana reached out her pale hand and placed it on the side of Caspian's face, her fingers lying against his soft, dark hair. She'd never even conceived touching a male so intimately before this. Although this conflict between her native people and the Telmarines was hard on her, she couldn't ignore her instincts, which had been telling her to reach out to him this whole time.

"Lyana…" the exotic way he whispered her name made the girl blush, just before the four Pevensie children walked through the stone arch.

"The Telmarines are coming. They've completed the bridge across the river."

A gasp was heard around the circle, as the staggering Narnian army exchanged looks of worry.

"We have to find Aslan!" Lucy declared, walking over to Lyana and taking her hand. "You're friends with the forest, right? Couldn't you have the trees tell us where he is?"

The admiration the young queen held for her made Lyana uncomfortable. There were far too many people depending on her. Not just people… Narnians.

"The trees in these parts haven't spoken for many years. I don't think-"

"You have to try." Susan stared unwaveringly straight into the frightened unicorn-whisperer's eyes. The gaze turned from sensitive to harsh and demanding.

"Please, stop," Lyana pleaded, earning herself the gazes of all the Narnian's in the room. They were mumbling amongst themselves about the failure of the last scheme and how they shouldn't trust this white, foreign girl.

The leers of the creatures in the tomb was taking hold of her. She could feel the pressure from their eyes weighing down on her shoulders, like the weight of the world weighed on Atlas' shoulders.

Some looks held contempt, others reverence, disbelief, skepticism and annoyance. The only eyes not fixed upon her were those of Caspian. His soft brown gaze held the calm, refreshing waters of free spirit, and she was glad when her senses finally rested upon him, however, the demanding howls of the creatures forced her to flee the underground fortress.

"There goes our only chance of finding Aslan," Peter looked irritably from his sister, Susan to Edmund. Lucy had been the one to instigate the unicorn-girl's fear, so surely she could not go to fetch her. The most obvious choice would be Caspian, but he hadn't spoken up once during the uproar.

"I'll go," Edmund volunteered, removing his sword so that he could approach the girl without looking threatening. He wondered if the ethereal girl remembered him from the night she'd saved him from the tower.

***

The young king found the blonde princess right where he expected she would be; trying to talk to the trees to save the kingdom of Narnia from the plundering Telmarines.

"Lyana, was it?" he asked curiously, testing to see if her emotions were still full of fright as the moment before she'd fled the chamber.

"I'm Edmund, by the way," he continued, walking towards her. She ignored him, but only pressed both hands further against the tree bark.

"I know who you are. You are one of the sons of Adam." Edmund only strolled closer to where the girl was standing by the tree. Before he could place his hand on her shoulder, she moved to another birch, breathing in deeply before touching its harsh surface.

"They didn't mean to put so much pressure on you, you know. It's just… with the war and all, things get a little tense. My brother Peter is a bit touchy at times like these," Edmund explained. To his utter surprise, the girl Lyana smiled at him.

"I can see why. He's fought to save Narnia before, and now _I _have the fate of the world on my shoulders."

"Someone's got to do it," the freckled boy responded jokingly. He received another smile from the girl.

"So… I heard that you're engaged to Caspian," he started, nonchalantly, hoping that the question wasn't too intrusive. He was curious about the girl, and so far, she'd been a complete enigma.

"Yes. For the good of my people." The look in Lyana's deep sapphire eyes was melancholic and Edmund became confused. He knew from history books and such that loveless marriages were common among royalty, but this girl was a beautiful Narnian. Surely she could marry for love?

"Are you in love with him? Caspian, I mean."

"A strange question. I do not know what love is, exactly. I have only known the greed of the villagers in Daytaria, and the passion of the unicorns. Anything else is foreign to me. I do not mean to be ignorant-"

"No, no, it's actually quite refreshing. You know, I was once an adult," the young boy stuck his thumbs in his belt and puffed out his chest. Edmund had never known magic until he heard Lyana laugh at his gesture. When she did, the forest seemed to come alive.

"Refreshing? How so?" Lyana, tired of talking to dead, lifeless trees, retired to a bed of moss and motioned for the boy-king to sit beside her.

"Well… when we, my brother and sisters, I mean, used to live in Narnia, we'd been at Cair Paravel for close to thirteen hundred years. We thought we knew everything back then, 'specially Peter and Susan." Edmund rolled his eyes as he recalled their superiority over the two younger Pevensie children. He sighed.

"Have you ever known love, Edmund?" Lyana's hair billowed around her wistfully, like a white sea of rose petals dancing before her ice blue eyes.

"I'd like to think so, but when you live forever, it's more fun to become an observer."

Lyana's gaze fell on the forest floor. _It must be hard to be such an old soul trapped in one so young looking, _she thought wistfully, taking in a breath of sweet air before returning to her feet.

"I think… I could. Fall for him, I mean." Lyana sighed into the sweet wind before jumping at the sound of a horn far off towards Aslan's Howl.

"That's Susan! Come on, they must be in trouble!" Edmund urged, pulling the pale girl to her feet and racing back to their friends.

When the two arrived back at the fortress, the Terlmarines were already canvassing the field just outside. A surge of fear rushed through Lyana at the sight.

"No more games. We've got to find Aslan. Lucy, you and Lyana go ahead. We'll hold them off."

Immediately after Peter had spoken, a presence appeared at Lyana's side.

"Go now," Caspian whispered, leaning his forehead that perspired with worry over his fiancée onto her soft blonde hair.

"But Caspian, I don't know where to go-"

"I have faith in you," he replied just as softly as before, his tone radiating confidence and assurance. Then, to seal his belief, he placed a kiss on her hair, then her forehead, then her lips. It didn't last long, but it gave Lyana all that she needed before riding off into the forest with the youngest Pevensie behind her on a horse.

"Are you and Prince Caspian going to get married?" Lucy pried, offering up a subject that wasn't exactly relevant to the fact that they were speeding through the forest to save Narnia.

"Yes," Lyana replied briefly, gracing her fingers over her lips where Caspian's had been only moments before. She savored the taste silently before she was interrupted once more.

"That's good, because I can tell he fancies you."

Lyana blushed at the implication, however, she also basked in the emotion washing over her. To have the admiration and affection of another human being was… incredible.

The two princesses didn't have long to spare, however, because no sooner had they left the safety of the stone keep did they have Telmarine riders on their tail.

"You can feel Aslan, I know you can," Lyana encouraged Lucy, as the young queen looked hesitantly over her shoulder at her surrogate guardian.

"What are you going to do?" she began uneasily.

"Buy you some time," Lyana explained reluctantly, knowing that the odds facing her were slim to none. She would be battling six armed men on horseback.

But it would be a worthy sacrifice to see the Aslan reign once more.

With that, Lyana hefted one leg over the back of the black steed and landed swiftly on her feet, facing the Telmarines in her bedraggled nightgown with an old blade of Caspian's.

His sword fit easily in her small, smooth palms as she poised to defend her position on the hilltop. Slowly, her opponent's numbers were becoming smaller and smaller as Lyana clashed her steal with theirs, holding her courage strong within her as they attacked relentlessly.

One quick blow to her side left Lyana sprawling in the dirt. She threw her blonde hair over her shoulder, only to have it grabbed from behind by an enemy soldier. He slipped the blade in front of her neck, making a small red slash in her alabaster skin as he jerked her hair.

Lyana let out a cry as the remaining soldiers approached, ready to take their prize, however, the sound of desperate hoof-beats alerted the gruff men that someone was coming.

Before she knew it, Lyana was being hoisted onto a horse from behind, and her opponents were dropping like flies.

"Are you hurt?" Caspian whispered, lifting one hand from the reins to graze the slash on his fiancé's neck.

"I'm fine," she assured him as they rode silently back to the keep. Lyana reveled in the feeling of having Caspian hold her so close. The magnetism she felt between herself and her prince was undeniable, and even in the midst of something as dark and brutal as war, she could still feel a blossom of hope.

_Perhaps love can be born from darkness,_ she thought in wonder as she rested her hand on Caspian's.

What they found when they returned to the front lines was less than spectacular.

"Peter and Miraz are fighting to the death," Edmund informed them bluntly as the chaos ensued. Caspian gritted his teeth as his uncle pounded a fierce blow into High King Peter with his armor faced cuff.

But when Peter finally had Miraz on his knees, Caspian tensed beside Lyana. She looked up into his conflicted brown eyes.

"You don't have to do this," she whispered, understanding the choice that he was faced with.

"I know," he responded curtly, taking Peter's sword and brandishing it as if to strike his helpless, bloodthirsty uncle.

"But I am not like you," Caspian admitted, slamming the blade into the stone courtyard angrily, and stepping back from his kneeling uncle, who was bowed shamefully on the ground at his feet.

Lyana sighed in relief, although deep in her heart, she knew that Caspian would not have done such a thing.

The battle raged on, however, as the traitorous Telmarines struck viciously at the unprepared Narnians, breaking the silent truce enacted during the duel between the two kings and attacking mercilessly. Lyana raged through the torrent, searching helplessly for respite as wave after wave of Telmarine soldiers attempted to vanquish her.

Blade against blade, friend against foe, the Narnians held off until at last, a glimmer of relief found them as the forest roared to life. Lyana's face lit up with wonder as the trees began hoisting their roots out of the soil to tear down the enemy trebuchets.

_The young queen must have found Aslan,_ Lyana thought hopefully as the Narnian forces drove the Telmarines to the river.

**

When at last Aslan and the Narnians had taken the day, Lyana, the four kings and queens of old, and Caspian knelt before the great lion.

"Rise, kings and queens of Narnia," he softly demanded, his deep, powerful voice echoed over the water as the Narnian soldiers relieved the Telmarines of their weapons. Lyana and Caspian had stayed dormant, silently waiting for his approval. It was not long before he rose to the occasion.

"You two as well," he softly demanded, calling forth the new king of Telmar and his soon to be wife.

"Your friends have told me much about you," Aslan began, inclining his head towards Lyana who curtsied shyly in the presence of such a powerful Narnian. Apparently Aslan had employed the unicorns to take queen Lucy to safety after the final steps of the battle.

_They have not forgotten me, _Lyana thought wistfully. She missed them and their soothing presence in such trying times.

"They tell me you not only protected them with your magic, but also the humans, and for that, I thank you. Your marriage has my blessing," the great lion continued smiling as best as a lion could towards Lyana and Caspian who stood side by side amongst the Pevensie children.

"Thank you," Lyana finally managed, gazing anxiously at Caspian to observe his reaction. Now that Miraz was no longer in control and half of the royal advisors were gone, there was no longer a need for the marriage. It would most likely be the first of his many decrees to come.

"Thank you, sir, but-" Caspian began, meeting Lyana's hesitant blue stare with a concerned one.

"-I will only marry Lyana… should she choose to be my bride."

The forest princess's face lit up and Caspian noticed it immediately and took her soft hand into his own.

"I do," she whispered, intertwining her fingers with his.

**

"We can't stay for the wedding?" Lucy complained, flopping down on Susan's bed in the Telmar keep. The Pevensie children had decided to meet with both the Telmarine prince and his fiancée to discuss possible routes to return to England.

"You know we can't," Susan retorted, trying to talk some sense into her sister.

"We don't belong here Lu. Caspian can take it from here," Peter spoke up, looking warily from Lucy to Caspian, who stood with his hands crossed in front of him, simply listening.

"It's alright Lucy. It just means next time I see you we'll have something fun to talk about," Lyana offered, taking a seat beside the young queen, letting her blonde hair billow out behind her.

"What's done is done. Aslan is sending us home today."

**

"Where do you think they went to?" Lyana asked innocently that night, deciding to cast protocol and tradition to the wind as she sat, without a chaperone in Caspian's room-now the suite of the king.

"Home, I guess," he responded tacitly, moving to sit beside her on the bed, taking the brush from her hand that was absent-mindedly combing through her luxurious hair.

"What is wrong?" she asked curiously, taking his nervous hands into hers and trying to find an answer in his deep, thoughtful eyes.

The candle light only flickered in response as he averted his gaze.

"I don't know if I'm ready," his voice was full of doubt and worry at the events ahead.

"To be married or to be king?" she smiled lightheartedly, squeezing his hand reassuringly and using her free one to tilt his chin towards her. Once more, her blue eyes searched his.

"How do you do that," he asked with mock curiosity, accepting her concern as he began to brush her hair once more.

"Do what?" she laughed.

"Make me feel like I can do anything?"

Lyana blushed and turned her head bashfully from his watchful eyes.

"All I do is let you be you. You _can _do anything!" she sighed, hoping that he would finally see the light. He only smiled and leaned towards her, capturing a light kiss from her surprised lips. She loved the sensation. It sent butterflies flitting through her body and made her excited.

"Marry me," Caspian whispered, pushing her back on the bed and clasping her hands in his- pinning them above her head.

"Too late. I'm already engaged to someone," Lyana quipped leaning up to receive another kiss that took her breath away. The King however, pulled away, leaving her wanting.

"Oh? Tell me about him," he pressed, waiting for her response as he rested, poised over her body that lay prone beneath him.

"Well, for starters, he's crushing me," she began, speaking in a slightly strained voice as if to prove her point. Caspian chuckled deeply in response and rolled off to one side, making certain he could still hold her close to him.

"-and he's always on my mind," she continued, the blush on her cheeks growing ever brighter as she lay next to him… in his quarters, alone.

"-and every time he kisses me, my heart sings-"

Before she could finish, Caspian closed the distance between them and graced her with the kiss she'd been longing for. His lips touched hers with confidence, softly moving against her small, pink mouth that tasted sweet… just for him.

"Do I know this man, that intrigues you so?" Caspian pried mockingly, planting soft kisses lower and lower on her neck.

"Yes," she whispered airily in response, answering his questions even if they were silly and rhetorical.

"He is a lucky man. And if he loves her as much as I do, he'll be by your side always."

Lyana was shocked to here those words out of his mouth.

_There it is again… love. I… I…_

"I love you," she murmured, as if her words were meant for his ears alone, for all eternity.

Caspian moved forward so his arms could encircle his fiancée. The moon set quietly over Telmar as the king and his bride fell asleep in each others arms.

* * *

Sappy ending, I know, but I hope you liked it. I started writing it like, in November of last year! REVIEW!

~DMar


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